TITLE: Source
AUTHOR: fanficauthor
SUMMARY: What if Neo had gone through the other door? Some decisions are more complicated than they seem. And some cannot be taken back.
CATEGORY: Alternate Universe/Drama
RATING: R for language, some sexuality content, and some disturbing themes. SPOILERS: Stay away if you haven't seen "Reloaded" and want to view it in blissful ignorance.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: First off, thanks to The Zion Mainframe, without whose transcript this piece would not have been possible. And thanks to all those at The Hardline, who constantly say things that give me story ideas. Thanks in particular to Rae for her article on the Zen of summaries. Quite helpful! Much of this was written while listening to Coldplay and Maroon 5 songs, which give me some strange inspiration. This is an alternate universe story, and quite a mindfuck. I basically wanted to take away all the ideas surrounding the choice the Architect gave Neo that we find so comforting. Feedback is welcomed at lanasmith713@hotmail.com. Thanks for visiting my corner of the universe.
Source
Part One: Decision
"The problem is choice."
The moment the words were out of his mouth, Neo knew the power they carried. He knew that every word he spoke in here, every move he made in this place, was meant to decide something. He knew that The Architect had a plan for him.
He could not get rid of the sinking feeling that everything was about to go straight to hell.
Five other ones before him. Unknown to any humans.
And, more importantly, unknown to him, the person they thought was going to fucking same them.
Jesus.
When The Architect spoke again, it was in a condescending tone, as if he was a grade school teacher, and Neo was a student that simply couldn't master his spelling list for the week.
"The first Matrix I designed was quite naturally perfect, it was a work of art; flawless, sublime. A triumph equaled only by its monumental failure. The inevitability of its doom is apparent to me now as a consequence of the imperfection inherent in every human being. Thus, I redesigned it based on your history to more accurately reflect the varying grotesqueries of your nature."
Neo saw visions flash before him. Visions of a horrible human past. Death, destruction, hopelessness.
" However, I was again frustrated by failure. I have since come to understand that the answer eluded me because it required a lesser mind, or perhaps a mind less bound by the parameters of perfection. Thus, the answer was stumbled upon by another, an intuitive program, initially created to investigate certain aspects of the human psyche. If I am the father of the matrix, she would undoubtedly be its mother."
Neo tried to piece it all together in his mind. "The Oracle."
He was met with an infuriating response.
" Please. As I was saying, she stumbled upon a solution whereby nearly ninety-nine percent of all test subjects accepted the program, as long as they were given a choice, even if they were only aware of the choice at a near unconscious level. While this answer functioned, it was obviously fundamentally flawed, thus creating the otherwise contradictory systemic anomaly, that if left unchecked might threaten the system itself. Ergo, those that refused the program, while a minority, if unchecked, would constitute an escalating probablility of disaster."
Enough of this bullshit. Let's get to the point here. "This about Zion," Neo stated firmly.
What the fuck did this guy want from him?
The Architect met his gaze head on. "You are here because Zion is about to be destroyed; its every living inhabitant terminated, its entire existence eradicated."
No. He didn't want to accept that. He didn't have to. He wouldn't.
"Bullshit!"
Neo was surprised to hear his television counterparts respond the same way.
The Architect gave Neo a sarcastic smile. "Denial is the most predictable of all human responses, but rest assured, this will be the sixth time we have destroyed it, and we have become exceedingly efficient at it."
He paused, letting the full effect of his words sink in.
"The function of The One is now to return to the Source, allowing a temporary dissemination of the code you carry, reinserting the prime program. After which, you will be required to select from the Matrix twenty- three individuals, sixteen female, seven male, to rebuild Zion. Failure to comply with this process will result in a cataclysmic system crash, killing everyone connected to the Matrix, which, coupled with the extermination of Zion, will ultimately result in the extinction of the entire human race."
Neo shook his head, as if that would somehow invalidate The Architect's statements.
"You won't let it happen. You can't. You need human beings to survive."
The Architect regarded him coldly. "There are levels of survival we are prepared to accept. However, the relevant issue is whether or not you are ready to accept the responsibility of the death of every human being in this world."
The television screens were suddenly filled with images of people, young and old. They were talking, laughing, some were crying. Just living out their daily lives. Neo felt his heart break a little bit.
"It is interesting, reading your reactions," The Architect continued. "Your five predecessors were, by design, based on a similar predication; a contingent affirmation that was meant to create a profound attachment to the rest of your species, facilitating the function of The One. While the others experienced this in a very general way, your experience is far more specific; vis a vis love."
Neo's heart skipped several beats. "Trinity."
"Apropos, she entered the Matrix to save your life, at the cost of her own."
" No." Neo felt his entire body tense up. This is what he had been dreading. What he had seen over and over again in his dreams but had always refused to truly accept.
"Which brings us at last to the moment of truth, wherein the fundamental flaw is ultimately expressed, and the anomaly revealed as both beginning and end. There are two doors. The door to your right leads to the Source, and the salvation of Zion. The door to your left leads back to the Matrix, to her and to the end of your species. As you adequately put, the problem is choice. But we already know what you are going to do, don't we? Already, I can see the chain reaction; the chemical precursors that signal the onset of an emotion, designed specifically to overwhelm logic and reason; an emotion that is already blinding you from the simple and obvious truth."
Neo knew what he was going to say.
Come on, say it. Get it over with.
"She is going to die, and there is nothing you can do to stop it."
As he saw the digital images of Trinity being beaten and broken, he knew it was true. He felt like crying, breaking something, killing someone. There was nothing he could do about it.
But still, every fiber of Neo's being was telling him to go through the door that would lead to Trinity.
Nothing he could do.
He had always hoped that when this day came, he would be able to save her. He had always thought that, really. His abilities as The One had made him more self-assured, and he had always thought that he could protect Trinity. He wanted to, in and out of the matrix.
He couldn't now.
Couldn't keep her from death.
Couldn't kill every single human being still plugged into the matrix.
Couldn't.
Ignoring the urges of his very core, he started to walk towards the door on his right. Before going through it, he turned to face the Architect.
"You know what I'm going to do, huh?"
"Based on your design, yes, quite right, I do."
"Fuck my design. Fuck my emotions. Fuck you. I'm capable of doing what has to be done."
Even as he spoke those words, the doubt was gnawing away at Neo.
The Architect raised his eyebrows at Neo.
"It seems you have lost hope."
"I haven't lost hope."
Liar. You're about to lose everything.
The Architect chuckled. "Hope. It is the quintessential human delusion. Simultaneously the source of your greatest strength and your greatest weakness."
Fucking prick.
"If I were you," Neo had a hard time controlling his voice. "I would hope we don't meet again."
The Architect gave him a knowing, amused glance. "We won't."
Neo swallowed hard and turned back around.
He forced his muscles to work.
He walked through the door.
***
Trinity fell through the glass window, still firing at the agent.
If she was going down, then this son of a bitch was going down with her.
Of course, the agent would probably just get back up after he hit the pavement.
She wouldn't.
She knew this, but kept if firmly placed in the back of her mind.
Falling.
Having trouble telling if time is speeding up or slowing down.
Fast or slow.
Fast.
Slow.
Fire.
Pain. One of the agent's bullets has hit its target.
Trinity feels her mouth open in a silent scream of pain.
She can taste the blood.
Fire. One more time.
Her bullet hits its target as well.
Too tired. Stop firing. Pain. So much pain.
Neo. God, I love you. I love you so much.
I had to, Neo. I had to. I'm sorry.
I am so sorry.
Contact. Her body smashing against the car. Out of the corner of her eye she sees the agent meet a similar fate.
Gasping for air.
Slipping away.
Feeling dizzy.
Shards of glass invade her skin.
Too much blood. She can smell it now.
Dark.
Slipping.
Pain fading.
Slowly fading.
One last cognizant thought.
I love you Neo, and I am so sorry.
***
To be continued.this chapter was really just the set-up.
AUTHOR: fanficauthor
SUMMARY: What if Neo had gone through the other door? Some decisions are more complicated than they seem. And some cannot be taken back.
CATEGORY: Alternate Universe/Drama
RATING: R for language, some sexuality content, and some disturbing themes. SPOILERS: Stay away if you haven't seen "Reloaded" and want to view it in blissful ignorance.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: First off, thanks to The Zion Mainframe, without whose transcript this piece would not have been possible. And thanks to all those at The Hardline, who constantly say things that give me story ideas. Thanks in particular to Rae for her article on the Zen of summaries. Quite helpful! Much of this was written while listening to Coldplay and Maroon 5 songs, which give me some strange inspiration. This is an alternate universe story, and quite a mindfuck. I basically wanted to take away all the ideas surrounding the choice the Architect gave Neo that we find so comforting. Feedback is welcomed at lanasmith713@hotmail.com. Thanks for visiting my corner of the universe.
Source
Part One: Decision
"The problem is choice."
The moment the words were out of his mouth, Neo knew the power they carried. He knew that every word he spoke in here, every move he made in this place, was meant to decide something. He knew that The Architect had a plan for him.
He could not get rid of the sinking feeling that everything was about to go straight to hell.
Five other ones before him. Unknown to any humans.
And, more importantly, unknown to him, the person they thought was going to fucking same them.
Jesus.
When The Architect spoke again, it was in a condescending tone, as if he was a grade school teacher, and Neo was a student that simply couldn't master his spelling list for the week.
"The first Matrix I designed was quite naturally perfect, it was a work of art; flawless, sublime. A triumph equaled only by its monumental failure. The inevitability of its doom is apparent to me now as a consequence of the imperfection inherent in every human being. Thus, I redesigned it based on your history to more accurately reflect the varying grotesqueries of your nature."
Neo saw visions flash before him. Visions of a horrible human past. Death, destruction, hopelessness.
" However, I was again frustrated by failure. I have since come to understand that the answer eluded me because it required a lesser mind, or perhaps a mind less bound by the parameters of perfection. Thus, the answer was stumbled upon by another, an intuitive program, initially created to investigate certain aspects of the human psyche. If I am the father of the matrix, she would undoubtedly be its mother."
Neo tried to piece it all together in his mind. "The Oracle."
He was met with an infuriating response.
" Please. As I was saying, she stumbled upon a solution whereby nearly ninety-nine percent of all test subjects accepted the program, as long as they were given a choice, even if they were only aware of the choice at a near unconscious level. While this answer functioned, it was obviously fundamentally flawed, thus creating the otherwise contradictory systemic anomaly, that if left unchecked might threaten the system itself. Ergo, those that refused the program, while a minority, if unchecked, would constitute an escalating probablility of disaster."
Enough of this bullshit. Let's get to the point here. "This about Zion," Neo stated firmly.
What the fuck did this guy want from him?
The Architect met his gaze head on. "You are here because Zion is about to be destroyed; its every living inhabitant terminated, its entire existence eradicated."
No. He didn't want to accept that. He didn't have to. He wouldn't.
"Bullshit!"
Neo was surprised to hear his television counterparts respond the same way.
The Architect gave Neo a sarcastic smile. "Denial is the most predictable of all human responses, but rest assured, this will be the sixth time we have destroyed it, and we have become exceedingly efficient at it."
He paused, letting the full effect of his words sink in.
"The function of The One is now to return to the Source, allowing a temporary dissemination of the code you carry, reinserting the prime program. After which, you will be required to select from the Matrix twenty- three individuals, sixteen female, seven male, to rebuild Zion. Failure to comply with this process will result in a cataclysmic system crash, killing everyone connected to the Matrix, which, coupled with the extermination of Zion, will ultimately result in the extinction of the entire human race."
Neo shook his head, as if that would somehow invalidate The Architect's statements.
"You won't let it happen. You can't. You need human beings to survive."
The Architect regarded him coldly. "There are levels of survival we are prepared to accept. However, the relevant issue is whether or not you are ready to accept the responsibility of the death of every human being in this world."
The television screens were suddenly filled with images of people, young and old. They were talking, laughing, some were crying. Just living out their daily lives. Neo felt his heart break a little bit.
"It is interesting, reading your reactions," The Architect continued. "Your five predecessors were, by design, based on a similar predication; a contingent affirmation that was meant to create a profound attachment to the rest of your species, facilitating the function of The One. While the others experienced this in a very general way, your experience is far more specific; vis a vis love."
Neo's heart skipped several beats. "Trinity."
"Apropos, she entered the Matrix to save your life, at the cost of her own."
" No." Neo felt his entire body tense up. This is what he had been dreading. What he had seen over and over again in his dreams but had always refused to truly accept.
"Which brings us at last to the moment of truth, wherein the fundamental flaw is ultimately expressed, and the anomaly revealed as both beginning and end. There are two doors. The door to your right leads to the Source, and the salvation of Zion. The door to your left leads back to the Matrix, to her and to the end of your species. As you adequately put, the problem is choice. But we already know what you are going to do, don't we? Already, I can see the chain reaction; the chemical precursors that signal the onset of an emotion, designed specifically to overwhelm logic and reason; an emotion that is already blinding you from the simple and obvious truth."
Neo knew what he was going to say.
Come on, say it. Get it over with.
"She is going to die, and there is nothing you can do to stop it."
As he saw the digital images of Trinity being beaten and broken, he knew it was true. He felt like crying, breaking something, killing someone. There was nothing he could do about it.
But still, every fiber of Neo's being was telling him to go through the door that would lead to Trinity.
Nothing he could do.
He had always hoped that when this day came, he would be able to save her. He had always thought that, really. His abilities as The One had made him more self-assured, and he had always thought that he could protect Trinity. He wanted to, in and out of the matrix.
He couldn't now.
Couldn't keep her from death.
Couldn't kill every single human being still plugged into the matrix.
Couldn't.
Ignoring the urges of his very core, he started to walk towards the door on his right. Before going through it, he turned to face the Architect.
"You know what I'm going to do, huh?"
"Based on your design, yes, quite right, I do."
"Fuck my design. Fuck my emotions. Fuck you. I'm capable of doing what has to be done."
Even as he spoke those words, the doubt was gnawing away at Neo.
The Architect raised his eyebrows at Neo.
"It seems you have lost hope."
"I haven't lost hope."
Liar. You're about to lose everything.
The Architect chuckled. "Hope. It is the quintessential human delusion. Simultaneously the source of your greatest strength and your greatest weakness."
Fucking prick.
"If I were you," Neo had a hard time controlling his voice. "I would hope we don't meet again."
The Architect gave him a knowing, amused glance. "We won't."
Neo swallowed hard and turned back around.
He forced his muscles to work.
He walked through the door.
***
Trinity fell through the glass window, still firing at the agent.
If she was going down, then this son of a bitch was going down with her.
Of course, the agent would probably just get back up after he hit the pavement.
She wouldn't.
She knew this, but kept if firmly placed in the back of her mind.
Falling.
Having trouble telling if time is speeding up or slowing down.
Fast or slow.
Fast.
Slow.
Fire.
Pain. One of the agent's bullets has hit its target.
Trinity feels her mouth open in a silent scream of pain.
She can taste the blood.
Fire. One more time.
Her bullet hits its target as well.
Too tired. Stop firing. Pain. So much pain.
Neo. God, I love you. I love you so much.
I had to, Neo. I had to. I'm sorry.
I am so sorry.
Contact. Her body smashing against the car. Out of the corner of her eye she sees the agent meet a similar fate.
Gasping for air.
Slipping away.
Feeling dizzy.
Shards of glass invade her skin.
Too much blood. She can smell it now.
Dark.
Slipping.
Pain fading.
Slowly fading.
One last cognizant thought.
I love you Neo, and I am so sorry.
***
To be continued.this chapter was really just the set-up.